Pional ‎- Miracle / Tempest

Pional ‎- Miracle / Tempest
Since he debuted in 2010, few artists have matched Pional's style of easygoing and euphoric house music. Miracle / Tempest, Pional's first release in over two years, shows that his studio touch is as good as ever. Blending trancey melodies with rolling grooves, the EP skews towards the dance floor and is better off for it. Housier than George FitzGerald and less in-your-face than Stephan Bodzin's neo-trance, it's a record for those who enjoy more subtle big-room music.

The "Open Up" version of "Miracle" is the EP's best tune. We've heard this spacey synth arpeggio on dozens of tracks before, but it sounds especially nice here, snaking atop a tribalist drum pattern and chords that move across a few octaves. There's an energy boost after the main breakdown but the smooth mood remains, helped by the sparing use of vocals. "Tempting" targets the same sound with more trancey melodies and a simple and steady rhythm. The original version of "Miracle" is the EP's most ambitious tune. Pional's attempt at an epic house ballad, it's the EP's least inspiring moment, full of weepy vocals and jarring synths. For more streamlined sounds, select from the other two tracks.